Padfone 2 to hit Australia in 2013

Asus giving original Padfone some "room"

Following its international launches in Taipei and Milan last week, Asus has confirmed that the Padfone 2 won't be released in Australia until next year.

Speaking with PC World, an Asus representative explained that the main reason for the delay was the recent release of the original Padfone in Australia.

""It will be coming, but the first Padfone launched not long ago so we will need to leave a bit of room for it," the ASUS spokesperson said.

The decision to delay the launch of the sleeker, more powerful device was attributed to Asus' head office in Taiwan.

No word on carriers

The original Padfone was released in August in Australia, and is sold exclusively through Harvey Norman for $999.

There's no word yet on whether the sequel device will have the same distribution arrangement, although Asus have acknowledged that the device will require testing on the Australian networks before it's launched.

With the phone/tablet hybrid hitting Europe and Asia by the end of the year, it's certain grey market retailers will be trying to take advantage of the decision to delay the Australian launch.